[Fauji]

Originally Posted by ravib

Folks,

Any recent update on quick darshan in special queue for senior citizens & infants (are they same queue, first of all)? I am thinking of taking my 5 month old kid through that queue.

Not clear about couple of things as I have never used that facility in the past.
1) Is only mother & infant allowed or can father also accompany - totaling 3 people?
2) At what intervals they open the gates for this queue? Every 1 hour or every 2 hours. I guess they stop other queues when this queue gate is opened.
3) My father is a senior citizen, but my mother is not. Can she also accommpany him totaling 2 people?

-Ravi

Ravi,

I saw a different lane for parents with infants less than 1 year. This is the same entrance meant for those who have taken seva tickets and is much quicker than Rs 300 entrance. We went through this entrance and it was quicker. See my post above. I think it is open continuously.

If i am not wrong, senior citizens are allowed very close and almost at the end of the queue. Not very sure. Someone in forum can confirm.

[Travelbug]

Hi All,

I'm planning a trip from Bangalore to tirupati on March 1st 2012 with a night stay in Tirupati. As we'll be having our 2 year old son along with us hence would liked to if there are enough eating joints throughout the way and any suggestion for good hotel in tirupati is appreciated. This would be ours first trip hence would require some suggestions from the people who have recently done this route.
Also Just wanted to know if there would be a separate queue for Children (age 2) for tonsuring at kalyan katta.

Thanks in advance.

[Lukeskywalker]

March is a very hot season to visit, that said, there are enough eating joints along the way, but I would suggest Hotel Vishnu Bhavan inside Chittoor town for some good south indian food.
I had been to Tirupati on 16th and returned yesterday, we had our lunch at Vishnu Bhavan on both days.

As for stay in Tirupati town, I'd recommend Bhimas residency, yes, it does not show on their website and it is situated right next to Bhimas Paradise which now looks rundown.

But if you are going for head tonsure, why not book accomodation online, I did see that the chart had empty rooms in March.

And there is no separate queue for tonsuring, but you can get it done at multiple places on Tirumala itself which are run by TTD, we got our little one's head tonsured right next to the enquiry office at Padmavathinagar, it was a very clean place with almost nobody for getting their head's tonsured, one needs to buy a ticket for 10 bucks at the office and present it to the barbers next door.

PM me for more details.
Regards,
Hari.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Travelbug

Hi All,

I'm planning a trip from Bangalore to tirupati on March 1st 2012 with a night stay in Tirupati. As we'll be having our 2 year old son along with us hence would liked to if there are enough eating joints throughout the way and any suggestion for good hotel in tirupati is appreciated. This would be ours first trip hence would require some suggestions from the people who have recently done this route.
Also Just wanted to know if there would be a separate queue for Children (age 2) for tonsuring at kalyan katta.

Thanks in advance.

Eating joints:
- CCDs (Kolar, Chandragiri)
- Kolar has a Woodys
- Reliance A1 on the way
- Bans the hotel on the Chitoor By-pass

Places to stay in Tirupati: Bhimas Residency, Fortune Kences.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ampere

Eating joints:
- CCDs (Kolar, Chandragiri)
- Kolar has a Woodys
- Reliance A1 on the way
- Bans the hotel on the Chitoor By-pass

Adding few more to Ampere's list of eating joints:
-CCD near Chitoor bypass (just before the bypass on right side of highway).
-Nandi hotel inside a Reliance fuel station campus just a few Km before Chittor bypass.
-Remember reading a recent post by another member about Shanthi Sagar near Palamner.

[ZENnist]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Road conditions

a) Bangalore - Mulbagal bye pass - Four lane completed and fantastic.

b) Mulbagal - Chittoor - Double lane road. Good condition. Heavy truck traffic after 5 PM. Slows you down badly.

c) Chittoor byepass to Tirupati - Five KMS of misery. Avoid it even if you have to go through city to join NH 18.

d) Beyond Chittoor till Tirupati - Very good road. One may get delayed if stuck at level crossings.

We left at 6.15 AM in the morning and reached Tirupati at 9.45 AM

We left Tirupati at 5 PM and reached Bangalore 9.30 PM.

I am planning to go to Tirupathi on Sunday (26th) returning on Monday. This is my second visit to Tirpathi and first time driving. These are the routes suggested by google maps.


Thanks for Fauji, the road conditions of route 1 (dark line) shown in the map is clearly mentioned. would like to know the details and condition of route 3 (faded line), if it is recommended, any eateries on that road etc etc. since this is the first time i am driving down, i plan to leave early (11ish) and reach there in daylight so that i dont get lost.

any and every input will be helpful.

[Fauji]

Zennist,

You are welcome. I have not travelled on Madanapalle route. Hence i do not know the road conditions.

I would recommend you to stick to Kolar - Chittoor route. The road condition throughout is good except for five KMS on Chittoor bye pass. If you want to avoid bye pass go via Chittor and join back NH 18 to Tirupati.

You have many eateries on Kolar - Chittoor route with many CCDs, Woddy's and Shanti Sagar. No worries at all.

Overall Kolar - Chittor is a better route from all aspects. Just go ahead. I would only recommend that the traffic on this route - especially between Chittoor and Palamner will be heavy in the evenings which will slow you down.

Unless you want to club Hosrsely hills with your trip - which is close to Madanpalle - i would recommend Kolar route.

[ampere]

The route via Madanapalle/Pileru is good. Good road and hardly any traffic.
The only issue is there are no hotels in the way.

Originally Posted by Travelbug

if there are enough eating joints throughout the way

Apart from the eateries mentioned by ampere, NPV and Fauji, there is one Kamat Upachar attached to IOC Jubilee outlet located on LHS of NH 4 near Narasapura bypass [60 km from Bangalore] while going from Bangalore towards Tirupati.

[ZENnist]

Thank you Fauji, Ampere and J.Ravi. Depending on the time i start from Bangalore, i wish to explore the Madenappalle route. We could even pack the lunch for onward journey. After Tirupathi, I plan to visit Srikalahasti also if time permits. For return journey i prefer to take Chittoor route as there are enough restaurants as pointed out.

will update after i am back.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by ampere

The route via Madanapalle/Pileru is good. Good road and hardly any traffic.
The only issue is there are no hotels in the way.

Originally Posted by ZENnist

Thank you Fauji, Ampere and J.Ravi. Depending on the time i start from Bangalore, i wish to explore the Madenappalle route. We could even pack the lunch for onward journey. After Tirupathi, I plan to visit Srikalahasti also if time permits. For return journey i prefer to take Chittoor route as there are enough restaurants as pointed out.

will update after i am back.

Hoskote-Madanapalle-Pileru route is very scenic. Distance wise there is not much of a difference, but this may be slower since you will have to travel on 2 lane roads and ghats (near Bhakarapet). One thing you can observe is the straight roads between Hoskote and Chintamani (bypass) and the Andhra border. You don't find any curves at all (okay, maybe you'll find some minor curves, but you'll never notice it)

[spadix]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Hoskote-Madanapalle-Pileru route is very scenic. Distance wise there is not much of a difference, but this may be slower since you will have to travel on 2 lane roads and ghats (near Bhakarapet). One thing you can observe is the straight roads between Hoskote and Chintamani (bypass) and the Andhra border. You don't find any curves at all (okay, maybe you'll find some minor curves, but you'll never notice it)

+1 to the scenic nature of the route.

It should be around 40 kms less and the traffic is also less. If the road condition is good and there is no requirement for fancy highway restaurants, this route is preferable. I somehow remember this route being more curvy than the Chittoor route, though!

I'll add Mayura (near the bus stand) and Sindhura (near the railway station) to ampere's list of hotels in Tirupati. In fact we are regulars at these two places only. Mayura is fab for food.

Regards,
spadix

[ravib]

Originally Posted by spadix

+1 to the scenic nature of the route.

It should be around 40 kms less and the traffic is also less. If the road condition is good and there is no requirement for fancy highway restaurants, this route is preferable. I somehow remember this route being more curvy than the Chittoor route, though!

Last Feb'2011, I took Madanapalli-Pileru route to tirupati.
yes it is very scenic and more curvy than chittoor route.

Though it is fully 2 laned, in other aspect somewhat I feel it is more safer route throughout than Chittoor-Tirupati section which is famous mainly because of rash driving & accidents. Time & Distance wise no big difference. Only drawback is no good restaurants or restrooms on the way. It will be little difficult to manage with family or kid, but for gang of boys this is a good route to go.

-Ravi

[ZENnist]

Originally Posted by spadix

+1 to the scenic nature of the route.

It should be around 40 kms less and the traffic is also less. If the road condition is good and there is no requirement for fancy highway restaurants, this route is preferable. I somehow remember this route being more curvy than the Chittoor route, though!

i love curves

no fancy restaurants for me...i am still not in the mindset of spending 50rs for coffee and 200rs on meals per person.

I'll add Mayura (near the bus stand) and Sindhura (near the railway station) to ampere's list of hotels in Tirupati. In fact we are regulars at these two places only. Mayura is fab for food.

there is a slight change in the plan - i would be travelling tomorrow instead of Sunday, which means i will have to deal with the weekend crowd and also find a place to stay. could you tell me the room rates in these two hotels? i've heard good reviews about Mayura.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by spadix

I'll add Mayura (near the bus stand) and Sindhura (near the railway station) to ampere's list of hotels in Tirupati. In fact we are regulars at these two places only. Mayura is fab for food.

I am with you on that Spadix. Mayura is an amazing place for food. Since Zenist was asking for stay options,
I did not include Mayura. During the days, when I visited Tirupati by buses from Bangalore, I would NOT board
bus back to Bangalore without lunch at Mayura!

It was always full Andhra meals followed by a sound sleep in a Volvo bus on the way back!